Closure assembly for containers



March 1959 M. DENSOW 2,877,920

CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR CONTAINERS Filed July e, 1956 Fig.

Max Oensow INVENTOR ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 17, 1959 M. DENSOW 2,877,920

CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR CONTAINERS Filed July 6, 1956 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 6 Q Fig. 7

Max Densaw BY &W@\WM ATTORNEY INVENTOR United States Patent 2,s77,s2o CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR CONTAINERS Max Deusow, Port Alice, British Columbia, Canada, assignoBofCone-fourth to Samuel Meerkreebs, Washington,-

., Application July 6, 1956, Serial No. 596,187 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-305 This'invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in containers of the type having removable closures, and more specifically to an improved closure assembly for containers.

Many items in daily use come in containers which have removable closure caps, the closure caps being normally thre'adedly engaged with a threaded end portion of the container. Examples of such containers are medicine bottles, toothpaste tubes, etc. Inasmuch as the closure cap must be entirely removed from the container in order to dispense the contents thereof, and since in many instances manipulation of the container must' be done in order to dispense the contents thereof, the closure cap is normally laid down during the dispensing operation.' As a result, in certain instances the closure cap is misplaced or lost with the result that the contents of the "container are no longer protected.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide an improved closure assembly for containers, the closure assembly including a closure cap member which may be threadedly engaged with a container member and at the same time is provided with suitable retaining means which are anchored to the container member so as to prevent the complete separation of the closure cap member from the container member thereby avoiding the accidental misplacement or loss of the closure cap member.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved closure assembly for containers of the type which includes a threadedly engaged closure cap, the closure assembly including a retainer for retaining the closure cap with respect to the container at all times and at the same time permitting freedom of rotation of the closure cap so as to facilitate the threading and nnthreading of the closure cap on the container.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved closure assembly for containers, the closure assembly including a closure cap and a retaining memher, the retaining member being in the form of a spring which is engaged over a neck portion of a container and which, while permanently retaining the closure cap with respect to the container, permits the closure cap to be freely rotated with respect to the container and the swinging of the closure cap up to an out-of-the-way position whereby the closure cap may be selectively moved from a container-closing position to a containerdispensing position without hindrance of such movement and at the same time be retained relative to the con tainer at all times.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of'an upper part of a conventional type of container having disposed thereon a preferred form of closure assembly which is the subject of this invention, the closure assembly being in a container closing position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to Figure l and shows the closure cap in a partially removed position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to Figurel and shows the closure cap removed from the container and swung to an out-of-the-way position;

Figure 4 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the reference line 4-4 of Figure 1 and shows the specific relationship between the closure assembly and the container;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the spring retaining element;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of an upper part of a container similar to the container of Figure 1, the container being provided with a modified form of closure assembly, a closure cap on the closure] assembly being shown in sections;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to Figure 6 showing the closure assembly in a partially removed position;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to Figure 7 and shows the closure cap further rotated and removed with respect to the container;

Figure 9 is an elevational view similar to Figure 7 and shows the container in a dispensing position with the closure cap in an out-of-the-way position; and

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the neck portion of the container and shows the details of an eye formed therein for receiv: ing the intermediate part of the spring retaining member.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated in Figures 1 through 5, inelusive, a preferred form of closure assembly which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 10. The closure assembly 10 is mounted on a container 12 which has a conical neck portion 14. The conical neck portion 14 terminates in an externally threaded upper end portion 16.

The closure assembly 10 includes a closure cap member 18 of a conventional type, the closure cap member 18 being internally threaded for threaded engagement with the threaded end portion 16 so as to seal the container 12.

The closure assembly 10 also includes a spring re,- taining element which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 20. The spring retaining element 20 is of the spiral type with the upper portion thereof being relatively small as compared to the lower portion. The upper portion of the spring retaining element 20 terminates in a free end 22. The lower portion of the spring retaining element 20 terminates in an enlarged end 24.

The closure cap member 18 has an ear 26 with a perforation 28 therethrough, the perforation being considered as an eye through which an intermediate portion of the spring retaining element 20 is passed.

It is to be noted that the upper portion of the spring retaining element 20 is of a size to be snugly engaged with the, lower part of the threaded upper end portion 16 so as to retain the spring retaining element 20 in place on the container 12. Also, the spiral of the spring retaining element 20 is such so that the spring retaining element 20 is snugly received about the conical neck portion 14 when the closure cap member 18 is in a container closing position, as is best illustrated in Fig. ure 1.

When it is desired to dispense the contents of the container 12, the closure cap member 18 is rotated in the normal manner so as to disengage it from the upper threaded end portion 16.- As the closure cap member 18 is rotated, the ear 26 will be threaded along the spring retaining member and cause the lower part of the spring retaining element 20 to move upwardly out of engagement with the neck portion 14, as is best illustrated in Figure 2.

After the closure cap member 18 is completely disengaged from the threaded end portion 16, it may then be swung to one side of the container 12 to the position illustrated in Figure 3 due to the hinged connection between the closure cap member 18 and the spring retaining element 20. The closure cap member 18 is then in an out-of-the-way position and the contents of the container member 12 may be readily dispensed in a normal manner. When it is desired to again seal the container member 12, the closure cap member 18 is again swung into overlying relationship with respect to the threaded end portion 16 and then screwed back in place in the normal manner. The enlarged end portion 24 of the spring retaining element 20 prevents the complete removal of the closure cap member 18 and thus the spring retaining element 20 permanently connects the closure cap member 18 to the container member 12.

Referring now to Figures 6 through 10, inclusive, it will be seen that there is illustrated a modified form of closure assembly which is referred to in general by the treference numeral 30. The closure assembly is mounted on a conventional type of container 32 which includes a conical neck portion 34. The conical neck portion 34 terminates in an externally threaded upper end portion 36.

The closure assembly 30 includes a closure cap member 38 which is provided with internal threads 40 for engagement with the upper end portion 36. The closure cap member 38 normally cooperates with the upper end portion 36 to seal the contents of the container member 32.

The closure assembly 30 also includes a spring retaining element which is referred to by the reference numeral 42. The spring retaining element 42 is of the spiral type with the upper part thereof being of smaller convolutions than the lower part. The lower end of the spring retaining element 42 terminates in an enlarged end portion 4-4. The upper end of the spring retaining element 42 terminates in a hook portion 4-6 which is interlocked with the closure cap member 38 in a recess 48 formed in the lower part thereof.

Referring now to Figure 10 in particular, it will be seen that the conical neck portion 34 of the container member 32 is provided with the pair of opposed projecting ears 50 which form an eye 52 through which an intermediate portion of the spring retaining element 42 freely passes.

In the normal position of the closure cap member 38, it is threadedly engaged with the upper end portion 36 to seal the container member 32. When the closure cap member 38 is in this position, the spring retaining element 42 is disposed about the conical neck portion 34. As the closure cap member 33 rotates, to remove it from the container member 32, the spring retaining element 42 also rotates with the closure cap member 38 and is fed through the eye 52. This permits the spring retaining element 42 to move upwardly out of its normal tight engagement with the conical neck portion 34 so that when the closure cap member 38 becomes entirely disengaged with the upper end portion 36, as is best illustrated in Figure 9, the spring retaining element 42 will have moved upwardly on the container member 32 a sutiicient distance to permit the pivoting of hinging thereof out of concentric relation with respect to the container member 32 whereby the closure cap member 38 may be swung to the out-of-the-way position of Figure '9. The enlarged end portion 44 of the spring retaining element 42 prevents the complete disengagement of the closure assembly 30 from the container member 32.

From the foregoing description of the two embodimember and a container member may be obtained at the same time freedom of movement of the container closure cap member with respect to the container is possible. The simplicity of the spring retaining element and the connections thereof to the container member and the closure cap member permits the closure assemblies to be economically feasible and at the same time highly desirable ones because of the absence of any hindrance V to the normal movement of the closure cap member.

The foregoing is considered to be illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a container member having a conical neck portion terminating in a threaded end por: tion, a closure assembly comprising an internally threaded closure cap member normally engaging said threaded end portion and closing said container member, anda coil spring retaining element depending from said cap member concentric to the internally threaded portion thereof and normally engaged about said conical neck portion, said spring retaining element permanently retaining said closure cap member on said container, said spring retaining element frictionally engaging said conical neck portion of said container member when said closure cap member is in the container closing position and movable longitudinally thereof due to rotation of said closure member, said spring retaining element being terminally fixedly secured to one of said members, said spring retaining element being slidably and hingedly connected to the other of said members.

2. In combination with a container member having a conical neck portion terminating in a threaded end portion, a closure assembly comprising a threaded closure cap member normally engaging said threaded end portion and closing said container member, and a spring .retaining element engaged with said conical neck portion, said spring retaining element permanently retaining said closure cap member on said container, said spring retaining element being of the spiral type and frictionally en gaging said conical neck portion when said closure cap member is in the container closing position, said spring retaining element being terminally fixedly secured to one of said members, said spring retaining element being slidably and hingedly connected to the other of said members, said spring retaining element having an enlarged free end limiting relative movement between said spring retaining element with respect to said other member.

3. In combination with a container member having a neck portion terminating in a threaded end portion, a closure assembly comprising an internally threaded closure cap member normally engaging said threaded end portion and closing said container member, and a coil spring retaining element depending concentrically .from the internally threaded portion of said closure cap memher and normally engaged about said neck portion, said spring retaining element being terminally fixedly secured to one of said members, said spring retaining element being slidably and hingedly connected to the other of said members, .said spring retaining element having an ten larged free end limiting relative movement between said spring retaining element with respect to said other member, said spring retaining element being longitudinally displaceable relative to said container due to rotation of said cap member.

4. .For use .ineombination with a container having a neck portion terminating in a threaded end portion, a closure assembly comprising an internally threaded closure cap for engaging the threaded end portion, and a coil spring retaining element depending from one side of said closure cap concentric to the internally threaded portion thereof for engagement with the neck portion to permanently secure said closure cap on the container, said closure cap being rotatable relative to said spring for engagement and disengagement with the threaded end portion, said closure cap being slidably and hingedly mounted on said spring retaining element.

5. In combination with a container member having a neck portion terminating in a threaded end portion, a closure assembly comprising a threaded closure cap member normally engaging said threaded end portion and closing said container member, and a spring retaining element engaged with said neck portion, said spring retaining element being terminally fixedly secured to one of said members, said spring retaining element being slidably and hingedly connected to the other of said members, said spring retaining element having an enlarged free end limiting relative movement between said spring retaining element with respect to said other member, said other member being said container member, said container member having an eye portion on said neck portion, said spring retaining element being received through said eye.

6. In combination with a container member having a neck portion terminating in a threaded end portion, a closure assembly comprising a threaded closure cap member normally engaging said threaded end portion and closing said container member, and a spring retaining element engaged with said neck portion, said spring retaining element being terminally fixedly secured to one of said members, said spring retaining element being slidably and hingedly connected to the other of said members, said spring retaining element having an enlarged free end limiting relative movement between said spring retaining element with respect to said other member, said other member being said closure cap member, said closure cap member having a perforated ear receiving said spring retaining element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 62,536 Eshleman Mar. 5, 1867 1,154,829 Ainslie Sept. 28, 1915 1,522,779 Hellman Jan. 13, 1925 1,611,852 Cosper Dec. 21, 1926 2,170,758 Lehwald Aug. 22, 1939 

